Global Partners

Democratic Republic of Congo: New classrooms at the Wesleyan primary school have been completed with the help of World Vision, and 523 students are now enrolled. The school is also used in the evenings by the Faculte Wesleyene de Theologie (Wesleyan School of Theology), and 15 students are enrolled. Four other ministerial students are studying at another school. Also, the DRC Church plans to launch a JESUS film team in June.

El Salvador: Just 18 months ago The Wesleyan Church of El Salvador had two established churches and four preaching points. Total attendance was running around 200 people. Today the Church has six established churches, some new preaching points, and total attendance over 500! Poverty and joblessness continue to plague the country, along with gang activity and violence. The gangs use threats and extortion on businesses and even on evangelical churches. Some of our pastors have experienced this personally in the last year, and they continue to live in danger as they resist and trust God for protection.

Ghana: The Wesleyan Church of Ghana recently launched missions work into the country of Burkina Faso. The Church is sending Pastor Issah (last name omitted) as their missionary. In the past two years, he has planted three churches in northeast Ghana among the Wa people.

Mozambique:  Rev. Graça Nhathelo, the Mozambique national superintendent, recently visited a new congregation planted in Tete Province. The Wesleyan Church of Mozambique now has congregations in all of the country’s ten provinces, a goal set by the Church about 15 years ago.

Russia: The Grace of Christ church plant in Vladimir celebrated its one-year anniversary in March. Over the several months, two new Bible study groups have been birthed as a result of people who are attending Grace of Christ Church—one in Sobinka and one in Vladimir.  

PICTURE: Pastors and church leaders in Ghana pictured with missionaries Bob and Brenda Bagley

Three hundred elementary students represented by four Wesleyan schools welcomed me and presented a great program. . . . Nearly 1,300 people gathered during the main service of the 85th annual conference of The Wesleyan Church of Pakistan. It was good to visit with the Pakistani brethren and celebrate what God has done throughout the years. It is not easy to be a Christian in Pakistan, let alone lead a church. Persecution remains, but the transforming power of Christ enables our pastors to spread the gospel. Today there 29 pastors and 15 lay preachers in 42 churches who are ministering to 12,500 members (including children).

At the end of December 2011,our missionary team in Albania held a 12-week prayer initiative. Each day there was concentrated prayer for an individual or family that at least one team member knew. Many supporters joined the team in prayer during this time. The missionaries are seeing and experiencing answers to these prayers. Praise God for the following:

• The Lord provided more “divine” opportunities. Team members would bump into people they were praying for in unexpected places at unexpected times.
• There has been an increased interest and initiative from seekers to dig deeper into the faith. Eleven of the team’s close contacts accepted Jesus as their personal Savior during the prayer initiative!
• More intentional relationships were built by team members during this time. They continue to pray and to trust God that these relationships will bloom and be fruitful.
• The team saw an openness in the Albanians to spiritual conversations—often the Albanians initiated these conversations. As a result, a new women’s Bible study was started, and these women are reading the Bible in their homes with their families.
• Overall, the team felt that more opportunities were available to share Christ and read the Bible with Albanians!

In mid-April I was in the interior of Guyana for the dedication of the Patamuna New Testament in which GP missionary Doris Wall was so involved. An enormous volume of work was done over several years to translate and bring this to publication. The dedication service was a true celebration for the people who now have the Word in their own language. The project involved not only the Wesleyans but also people from Wycliffe, as well as the Jesuit priest in the region, Father Paul Martin. For me, to be there was an outstanding and moving experience.

Some of the people had walked four days or more to be present. Some had paddled for days down the river in canoes to be present. [About 250 Patamunas attended the ceremony.] To brush shoulders with people who would make such incredible effort to be present to see and acquire the Word in their own language was both inspiring and convicting. How many of us have multiple copies of the Word and may not hold it in such high value as these dear people? Hats off to Doris and the crew!

Picture:  Looking through the New Testament translated into her heart language.

The 25th Regional Conference Silver Jubilee celebrationfor The Wesleyan Church in Northeast India took place on March 13-19, 2012. More than 500 people celebrated this joyous occasion. A seven-foot high stone marked the site of the jubilee, and 25 people struck a gong, one at a time, during the opening ceremonies. The singing, messages, feasting, and fellowship, as well as the recognition of those who were a part of the pioneering work of the Church, were highlights of the event. The theme “Thy Kingdom Come” is a reality in this part of India. Currently there are more than 4,000 members in this region. Rejoicing and renewed, the Church and its leadership look forward to another 25 years of God’s faithfulness and their golden jubilee.

Picture: Romy Caringal strikes the Silver Jubilee gong

Over the last four years, Wesleyan international JESUS film teams showed the JESUS film to two million people, with an average crowd size of more than 500 people. Thirty-eight percent of those who saw the film responded by coming forward for prayer. Three new Wesleyan churches, on average, were planted every two weeks over this time period, with 89 churches planted in 2011. Praise God for the tremendous way the JESUS film ministry is reaching the multitudes with the gospel!

Millions have come to the cities to find a better life only to find their dreams all but snuffed out by the realities of unemployment. Many put up their corrugated iron shacks outside the cities, forming large informal settlements—overcrowded areas where people lack proper sanitation, running water, electricity, schools, and clinics. Life is stressful to say the least. People live in fear, seeking to survive one day at a time. Crime and disease threaten them and their children.

[On March 4] I drove to an informal settlement just outside of Daveyton. The occasion was the grand opening of a child care center. I was moved to see how Lindiwe Galela, wife of Southern Africa Regional Superintendent Doctor Galela, and others have entered the lives of the very poor, to begin making life-changing differences. Prior to this, these children roamed the streets. Now the mothers of these children are involved in the child care center as volunteers. They are learning that they have value in God's eyes, and they are in the process of learning marketable skills in order to have food for their families. It has been a remarkable thing to see people from very different walks of life working together in this impoverished community to make a difference. Lindiwe has also started to hold Sunday services there.

Lindiwe invited me to return to the informal settlement on [March 10]. She said the ladies had requested lessons on parenting skills, and she asked me if I would teach them. It was an unforgettable experience! By the end of the session, there were about 40-45 ladies crammed into one of the containers used at the child care center during the week. It was hot, but the ladies seemed oblivious to the heat. Most were seated on the floor, listening intently and interacting, serious about knowing how to be better mothers, wanting a better life for their children. What could be better?! God at work changing lives, giving hope!

Picture:  Attendees at the parenting skills class